Workers who sustain injuries on the job may suffer permanent impairments that prevent them from returning to their former positions. However, when workers can do other kinds of work within their medical restrictions, they may seek vocational rehabilitation benefits to help them transition into a new job.
What Is Vocational Rehabilitation?
Vocational rehabilitation, or VR, refers to services and programs that help injured employees return to work when their medical restrictions prevent them from returning to the kinds of jobs they previously performed. Vocational rehabilitation equips injured or disabled workers with training and skills to find alternative work compatible with their medical restrictions.
What Services Are Included Under Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits in Oklahoma?
Services that a worker might receive from vocational rehabilitation will depend on their circumstances and needs, including the type and severity of injuries/disabilities they’ve suffered, their medical restrictions, and their education/work experience.
Examples of vocational rehab benefits available from the Oklahoma workers’ comp system include:
- Consultations with the worker’s current employer to determine whether the employer has available positions compatible with the worker’s medical restrictions
- Vocational evaluation to determine the worker’s abilities, aptitude, and work interests
- Retraining, which may involve vocational or higher education or on-the-job training/apprenticeships
- Job placement, including assistance with resume-building and job searches, transportation services, school-to-work programs, or self-employment assistance
How to Access Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits with Your Workers’ Compensation Claim
Under Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation system, a worker who suffers permanent impairments preventing them from returning to work may obtain vocational rehabilitation benefits if their employer offers them. When an employer does not voluntarily provide VR benefits, the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission can refer a worker for a vocational rehabilitation evaluation paid for by the employer, either when requested by the worker or upon the Commission’s motion.
When a worker or their employer disagrees with an evaluator’s recommended VR plan, the Commission can hold mediation with the parties or schedule a hearing before an administrative law judge to rule on whether the employee should receive vocational rehabilitation benefits at the employer’s expense.
Restrictions on Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
Workers typically become eligible to seek vocational rehabilitation benefits when they reach maximum medical improvement (MMI) and have medical restrictions that prevent them from returning to their old jobs. However, a worker may request benefits before reaching MMI if their treating physician believes the worker’s injury will likely prevent them from returning to their pre-injury position. Once a worker receives a permanent disability diagnosis that prevents them from returning to their former job, they must request VR benefits within 60 days.
Workers’ comp typically provides up to 52 weeks of vocational rehabilitation benefits, which the employer must cover in addition to the worker’s weekly benefits. A worker may qualify for an additional 52 weeks of temporary total disability benefits while actively pursuing a vocational rehabilitation program.
Contact the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons
If permanent medical restrictions prevent you from returning to a previous job, workers’ compensation vocational rehabilitation can help you resume gainful employment. Contact Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons today for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our Oklahoma workers’ compensation lawyers. We can assess your eligibility for services after a work-related injury or illness.
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